Forget the recent poll taken by Sky Sports which made them the favourites to win the 11-12 EPL, Tottenham Hotspur is a club on a mission. After 3 years, Harry Redknapp has taken the club from under achievers to UCL debutants, League cup runners-up and most recently EPL title contenders. No one would have predicted that Spurs (as they are affectionately called) would be challenging for the title, especially because of their position in the Barclay's PL table when Harry took over. Then Sevilla boss, Juande Ramos came with an impressive track record as a manager, after leading the Andalusians to 2 consecutive UEFA CUP triumphs, the UEFA SUPER CUP, amongst others. But he unfortunately couldn't replicate his coaching ingenuity at North London and was consequently shown the door. Redknapp came in with a good reputation also, after ending Portsmouth long awaited wait for a trophy with the 08 FA Cup. He took Spurs from relegation battlers to 8th position at the end of the season. A run which earned him glowing praises from football pundits, managers and players alike. The following season, the lilywhites defied the odds and qualified for the UEFA Champions League in style. They defeated fellow contenders, Manchester City in a make or mar game all thanks to a Peter Crouch finish. They went on to qualify for the group phase proper after dismissing young boys of Switzerland in a two legged tie. Spurs continued to break barriers in the football world, reaching the quarter-finals, after defeating 7 time winners and perennial UCL contenders, AC MILAN in the round of 16. However, Jose Mourinho's REAL MADRID weren't in the mood to dole out any favours, and thus consequently sent the North London club packing in the QF. Harry's boys couldn't repeat their 09-10 season achievements and could only finish 5th in the 10-11 campaign.
This season (11-12) was set to be a promising one. Harry and Daniel Levy (Spurs Chairman) successfully fended off persistent interest from Chelsea for Luka Modric despite the unending press talk and several alleged bids ranging from 25 million to 40 million pounds. The LEVY-REDKNAPP combo was paying dividends and Spurs fans were appreciative of their resolve to keep the Croatian midfield gem at White Hart Lane (WHL) for at least this season. They believed they could mount a serious challenge for a CL spot once again. Who could blame them? They had seen their team fall short of expectations many a time. Not for want of trying.....The Lane has produced and seen great players from Argentine magician, OSSIE ARDILES to David Ginola to Jurgen Klinsmann, Also great players like Gary Lineker, Les Ferdinand, Teddy Sheringham, Gus Poyet and Sol Campbell...but the landlords haven't really hit that imperious form that was necessary to put them among the elite of English football............................................................UNTIL NOW.
Who would have guessed at the beginning of the season that the lilywhites would be mentioned in the same breath as MAN UTD AND MAN CITY, talk more of being SERIOUS TITLE CONTENDERS. It has been a dream run after the 1st two games which saw them ship in 8 goals (3 at Old Trafford and 5 at WHL vs Leaders, Manchester City). 18 games after the 5-1 mauling, Spurs have only lost 1 game----that very annoying and displeasing match at the Britania v Stoke which is famously described as the 'FAILINGS OF FOY'. In truth, the referee had a big part to play in that defeat, but so have match officials also contributed to the results of other matches. That by the way, the North London giants have won 14 out of the remaining 17 (only Swansea, Newcastle and Chelsea have stopped them from winning this season) to sit comfortably in third----albeit on goals difference behind MUFC (2ND) & MCFC(worthy leaders). The former being the most painful. Perhaps they have been propelled by Arsenal's JACK WILSHERE who boldly stuck out his neck on twitter that Spurs wouldn't finish above Arsenal, even going further to place a bet which prompted a response and counter bet from SPURSS' JERMAINE DEFOE.
After losing their first two games to both Manchester Clubs, Harry and Levy secured the services of EMMANUEL ADEBAYOR (on loan from MCFC) and SCOTT PARKER (from West Ham) and could afford to ship out Peter Crouch and Wilson Palacios to Stoke. It has been a jolly good ride from then on as the midfield partnership of PARKER AND MODRIC is arguably the most efficient in EUROPEAN FOOTBALL. Aided by the exceptional brilliance of Dutch Technician, RAFA VAN DER VAART, the breathtaking pace of Aaron Lennon and the fantastic ability of Gareth Bale, the team has gone on to prove the critics wrong and stake a claim for the much coveted EPL crown cum May 2012. What amazes everyone is their strength in depth...DEP CAPT and defense stalwart, Michael Dawson has only just returned from Injury. Captain and MR 'ONE GAME A WEEK', LEDLEY KING cannot play every game due to his dodgy knee. Jermaine Defoe, Roman Pavlyuchenko, Steven Pienaar, Niko Kranjcar, and Sandro (who has only been in the team recently because of Lennon's absence through injury) are only good enough for the sub(s) bench these days. Harry has set up his team so enviably well. 40 year old Brad Friedel defied the years to displace error prone Heurelho Gomes as the NO 1 goaltender, Kyle Walker has deposed Vedran Corluka as the club's regular right back, and Younes Kaboul has been a rock at the back for Redknapp this term. Even without Tom Huddlestoneliywhites have performed admirably well in their quest to rewrite the history books and maintain their current position as the top team of not only North London, but London as a whole.
It is scary when you watch them play. The way they move the ball, change positions, attack opponents and defend solidly. 8 clean sheets in 20 games is a testament to the fact that the defence is water tight and with the diminutive Scott PARKER dictating things in the middle of the pack, sitting just in front of the back four impressively, there are more clean sheets in the offing. Many sports writers and football watchers were of the opinion that they wouldn't function just as well without PARKER,that has been put to bed with their recent performances v WEST BROM AND EVERTON. As indispensable as the English midfield trojan is, there are times where he would be unavailable and others have to step up to replace him. Jake Livermore has done that considerably well this season. Although it is yet to be seen how they can fare against the big boys when the time comes. With Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea to play away, there is a lot of work to be done before they can LEGITIMATELY CLAIM TO BE REAL TITLE CONTENDERS
I my opinion,. the most important player for TOTTENHAM is LUKA MODRIC. The 26 year old football wizard is unfairly criticised in some quarters as overrated because of his assists to game ratio. I don't agree at all. In times past, Levy would have sold him to any club who could pay as much as Chelsea were offering in the summer. We saw that with Berbatov and Carrick. But he stuck to his guns that the Croatian midfield god is going nowhere and he was RIGHT to do so. I don not think SIR ALEX FERGUSON will let Rooney go for even 70 million pounds right now, neither do I think XAVI HERNANDEZ will be allowed to leave Barca for any amount. That is the extent to which Modric is highly rated in my eyes. He is everything you want in a professional player. Harry can't say enough when he is pouring encomiums on the Croat because you just don;t know where to start. Another like him is Germany and Bayern Munich's Bastian Schweinsteiger. These kind of players only come once every CENTURY and if you are FORTUNATE AND PRIVILEGED to have them, NEVER EVER let them go until they are 45 or without legs. MODRIC epitomizes the DREAM PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLER. He typifies every good thing you want a sportsman to POSSESS. He is just IRREPLACEABLE. Simply the best footballer in the EPL in my humble and honest opinion. He can do everything in that midfield-play as a trequartista (what the south Amercians call ENGANCHE)---just like Juan Roman Riquelme, he can also fit in well as a deep lying playmaker, can be a defensive midfielder when he wants to or is told to do so and can play as a winger. WHAT A PLAYER, WHAT A MAN, WHAT A GENIUS. If Spurs want to ACHIEVE GREATNESS, then LUKA MODRIC is the most important piece of the JIGSAW which MUST not fall apart.
OHIS EBOREIME
Follow me on twitter @ohiskaka1990
